Why Things Are & Why Things Aren't - Softcover

Achenbach, Joel

3.85

41 ratings by Goodreads

9780345392886: Why Things Are & Why Things Aren't

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345392884 ISBN 13: 9780345392886

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1996

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WHAT IS REALITY, ANYWAY?
FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK.
Washington Post columnist Joel Achenbach refuses to take "I don't know" for an answer. In Why Things Are, he gave you a world of answers in a nutshell. Well, once again it's time to get cracking. Just ask Achenbach, who's out to crack every mystery in the book. After all, why stop asking why when there's no end of questions left to be asked?
* Why is the Oval Office oval?
* Why is it so darn hard to lose weight?
* Why did Napoleon keep his hand tucked in his vest?
* Why is Muzak everywhere even though people claim they dislike "elevator music"?
* Since we're mostly made of water, why don't we slosh around more?
* Why are people so obsessed with talking, thinking, and hearing about sex?
* Why is the interior of the Earth still hot after 4.6 billion years of letting off steam (and lava)? Why doesn't this thing ever cool off?
Truly outrageous and outrageously true. That's the name of Joel Achenbach's game in this wildly original collection of questions and answers. If you have a taste for the unusual, here's a book that's just as fun as a box of assorted chocolates--but far less fattening.

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From the Publisher:

Why is the Oval Office oval? Why is it so darn hard to lose weight? Why is Muzak everywhere even though people claim they dislike "elevator music?" Why are people so obsessed with talking, thinking, and hearing about sex? Since we're mostly made of water, why don't we slosh around more?

Joel Achenbach is one of the funniest, and most engaging writers I've worked with. And he tackles the most amazing questions! To find out the answers to the above, to understand the workings of the human body, or to discover why we can't seem to shake bad habits, you'll need this book. And when you sit down with Why Things Are & Why Things Aren't, you'll find a further plus: the absolutely brilliant illustrations throughout. I hope this book entertains you; it certainly entertained me. E. Zack, Sr. Editor

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